Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) Kerbside Collection Trial
In 2021, the Queensland Government provided funding to Townsville City Council, Rockhampton Regional Council and Lockyer Valley Regional Council to undertake the organics kerbside collection trial. The trial was designed to assist local governments to deliver garden organics (GO) and/or food organics and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside collection services within their councils, and generate valuable, Queensland-focused data.
The trial was conducted over the period August 2021 to September 2022. Across the three councils, 3241 households participated in the trial, and 1121 tonnes of organic waste was successfully diverted from landfill.
As part of the trial, each council provided an additional kerbside bin to a sample of households to collect GO or FOGO and test collection frequencies, equipment types and community engagement methods.
The Queensland Organics Kerbside Collection Trial: Final report summarises the key findings of the trial and identifies learnings that may be used to inform future development of kerbside organics collection services across Queensland.
The trials were made possible due to the dedicated council waste management teams who are on the ground every day ensuring that their communities embrace new and improved ways of managing their waste.
A summary of outcomes from the individual trials undertaken by councils can be accessed below:
Current status
Collection and processing of household organic waste occurs within a complex system. There are several other pieces of work underway to contribute to improved management and recovery of household organic waste by councils and their supply chain partners, including:
- The Queensland Organics Strategy 2022–2032 provides the overarching framework and actions for improved management of organic materials along the supply and consumption chains in Queensland.
- The Queensland Organics Action Plan 2022–2032 supports the Organics Strategy and provides a clear roadmap for how Queensland plans to avoid the generation of organic waste, reduce the impact of organic waste on the environment and communities, transition to a circular economy and build economic and market opportunities within the organics recycling industry.
- In August 2023, the Queensland Government announced funding of $151.1 million to support Queensland councils to introduce or expand kerbside collection of organic waste through the Growing the Recovery of Organic Waste via Food Organic Garden Organic (GROW FOGO) Fund. The funding model has been informed by learnings and outcomes from the Organics Kerbside Collection Trial.
- The Queensland Government has developed a suite of education and behaviour change toolkits to assist councils in delivering behaviour change interventions for kerbside recycling and organics. Additional funding is available under the Let’s Get it Sorted Partnership Program to support delivery.
- The development and establishment of trials to provide information about options for management of organic waste generated by multi-unit dwellings and commercial premises, recognising that these premises require different options to those delivered to households.
- The Queensland Government has partnered with the Australian Government to deliver the Queensland Food Waste for Healthy Soils Program, which aims to divert organic waste from landfill through increasing the recycling rate of organic waste.
- The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation has released additional information to provide guidance about the regulation of composting activities in Queensland to best practice standards.